L'Art en guerre, France 1938-1947

In this show, the Musée de l’Art Moderne investigates the impact of the Second World War (1939-45) on the art world in occupied France. Subject to oppression and violence, sometimes even imprisoned, artists had to change both their techniques and subjects profoundly while living under the Nazi regime. The great majority among them worked clandestinely, fighting their own battles with every stroke of the brush or chip of the chisel. ‘L’Art en Guerre’ (‘Art at War’) shows 400 paintings, photographs and films by around 100 artists, including Klee, Chagall, Matisse and Picasso. It shows how, even in the darkest times, art struggles on – both futile and essential.